Cyclone Murasu nears Andhra coast after triggering rain and flight cancellations in Chennai

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone Murasu LIVE updates: Eleven flights cancelled at Chennai airport amid heavy rain: Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu is set to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole between midnight on Monday and the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, bringing wind speeds of 100 to 110 kmph gusting up to 120 kmph.

Impact and Cancellations

Eleven flights arriving at and departing from Chennai airport have been cancelled due to the severe weather. IndiGo confirmed that flight operations to and from Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, and Tirupati are affected, with ten flights cancelled at Gannavaram Airport in Vijayawada alone. The Airports Authority of India stated that flights linked to Kadapa and Tiruchi are also impacted.

Official Response

Schools and colleges are closed in Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur districts, while Madhavaram recorded 11 cm of rain and both Ennore Port and Nungambakkam received 10 cm over 24 hours. Civic authorities in Chennai deployed pumps to clear waterlogged streets and subways. In Andhra Pradesh, authorities deployed six National Disaster Response Force teams and seven State Disaster Response Force teams, with stations set up in districts like Krishna, Bapatla, Guntur, Nellore, and Prakasam. Meanwhile, Odisha expedited evacuations in southern districts including Ganjam and Gajapati, where Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari noted that over 300 response teams are pre-positioned.

Context

Cyclones form over warm tropical waters like the Bay of Bengal and typically weaken after making landfall as they lose their moisture source. Coastal regions in southern India routinely face heavy rainfall and strong winds during the northeast monsoon season when these storm systems approach.